CGHS Card – Procedure to get CGHS Card

What is a CGHS Card

All CGHS beneficiaries and their dependents are issued individual photo ID plastic cards with a unique beneficiary ID number that must be presented at each service point in order to access the facilities. Beneficiaries are responsible for the safe custody of their CGHS Cards and are required to notify the police and CGHS authorities in the event of a card loss.

A duplicate CGHS card can be obtained in the event of a lost card by submitting an application to the concerned Additional Director along with a copy of the FIR for a fee of Rs. 50/-.

How to Obtain a CGHS Card

Serving employees/pensioners who are eligible must submit an application in the required format (available on CGHS web portal www.cghs.nic.in and website www.cghs.gov.in and also in the wellness centres).

The form should be completely filled up with individual photographs pasted as specified in the form.

The following documents must be attached:

In case of serving employee:-

1. Proof of residence.
2. Proof of stay of dependents.
3. Proof of age of son.
4. In case of differently abled dependent son above 25 years, disability certificate from competent authority as specified.

In case of pensioners:-

In addition to 1 to 4 above:

1. Surrender certificate of CGHS Card (only if CGHS Card was issued during Service Period).
2. Attested copies of PPO/Provisional PPO/Last Pay Certificate (in case PPO is not readily available immediately after retirement.)
3. Through Bharat Kosh (https://bharatkosh.gov.in) or Demand Draft in the name of concerned PAO of city.

If the card is to be issued on an annual renewal basis, the amount of the Demand Draft will be for a contribution due for one year, and for ten years if a whole life card is necessary.

Dependency Criteria

Parents (or parents-in-law in the case of female employees), unmarried sons up to the age of 25, dependent unmarried/widowed/divorced/separated daughters and sisters, and minor brothers are deemed dependent on the Government employee if they are normally residing with him and their monthly income from all sources, including pension and pension equivalent of DCRG benefit, is less than Rs. 9000 +DA. This criterion does not apply to either the husband or the impaired son, regardless of age (please see definition of disability in instructions for filling CGHS card)

Submission method

In the case of serving employees, the application must be submitted through the department following proper approval. Pensioners must submit an application with attachments to the Addl. Director (HQ) in Delhi and the concerned Addl. Director of the city.

Provision for obtaining a CGHS card for a retiree while still in service:

Along with his pension papers, a serving employee can apply for a pensioner CGHS Card.

The application, along with any attachments and a bank draft, should be sent to the CGHS through the employee’s office. The pensioner card will be issued on the day of retirement (if it has been applied for for at least six weeks prior to the retirement date) and will be activated the following day.

CGHS Card online application

The card can be applied for online at www.cghs.nic.in or on the CGHS website at www.cghs.gov.in.

However, there is currently no provision for uploading supporting papers. After submitting the application online, the applicant must print it and send it along with supporting documentation (duly endorsed by the Head of the Department/Office in the case of serving staff) to the Additional Director HQ in Delhi or the Additional Director in other cities.

Addition/Deletion of names in CGHS Cards

• Upon the death of the primary cardholder, the card becomes invalid, and the spouse must apply for a new card once he or she begins receiving the family pension. The application must be accompanied by an old CGHS card and a death certificate.
• After submitting the form for addition, which has been legally signed by his/her department, a serving employee may have the names of his or her spouse/child added to the card.
• It is the responsibility of the main card holder to notify CGHS after the death of a spouse and the death/marriage/employment of a son/daughter/dependent.

Validity of CGHS Card

• If the employee is otherwise eligible, the service card will be valid until the date of retirement.
• To maintain the validity of yearly contribution pensioner cards, contributions must be made prior to the end of the current year.
• If a serving employee is transferred to a non-CGHS covered area, the service card will be valid for the family members for six months after the transfer if a six-month CGHS payment is made before the transfer.
• The CGHS card is valid for treatment, investigation, and hospitalisation in all CGHS cities. Except for getting high-value medicines designated as “lifesaving”/restricted supply drugs, which require temporary connection to a wellness centre, there is no need for a transit pass to receive treatment in another CGHS city.

Transfer of CGHS Cards

• In case of serving CGHS beneficiary transferred from one department /ministry to another in the same city, the same CGHS card will continue. The new department/ministry will duly inform CGHS so that necessary changes can be made in the database of the employee.
• If a serving CGHS beneficiary is transferred from one CGHS-covered city to another, the same CGHS card will be used. The employee will submit an application for card transfer to his new city of posting, along with the transfer orders, to the AD of his current CGHS city. The card will be transmitted to his new posting city via the internet. After that, when he moves to a new city, he will file an application with supporting documentation to the CGHS city’s AD to get his card validated.

CGHS Card for Pensioners residing outside CGHS Cities

Pensioners living outside of the CGHS coverage area can get a standard CGHS card or an IPD (Indoor treatment) CGHS card with a set medical allowance (instead of OPD treatment) from a neighbouring CGHS city. IPD cardholders will not be able to receive OPD treatment or medications from CGHS Wellness Centers.

CGHS Card Self-Printing

When the application for a CGHS card is approved by the CGHS Card Section, the applicant receives an acknowledgment letter with the card number and the Ben IDs of all family members. After one month of application, the plastic cards are available at the cardholder’s parent wellness centre.

In the meanwhile, the acknowledgement letter can be utilised to use the Wellness center’s services.

Print your own Card online facility

Beneficiaries can also print their own cards and those of their dependents online using the Beneficiary login. This e-CGHS Card is the electronic version of the Plastic Card. After downloading the card in PDF format, the recipient can print it in colour and laminate it for future use.

The beneficiary or family members can print their cards by following the procedures below.

1. Go to cghs.nic.in to access the CGHS site.
2. Select Beneficiary Login from the drop-down menu.
3. Sign in with your Ben ID and password.
4. Click Print card for the beneficiary whose card needs to be printed
5. Type the one-time password that was sent to your registered mobile phone.
6. Select Print CGHS Card from the drop-down menu.
7. A message comes on the screen, requesting that you print a coloured copy and laminate the card. Select OK.
8. Download or open the eCGHS card in PDF format
9. Print the eCGHS card using Control P command

A beneficiary can use his or her eCGHS card to access health-care services. If necessary, the HCOs can check the beneficiaries’ credentials using the computer database and the beneficiary ID number.